In certain aspects of the semiconductor packaging industry, semiconductor elements are bonded to bonding locations. For example, in conventional die attach (also known as die bonding) applications, a semiconductor die is bonded to a bonding location of a substrate (e.g., a leadframe, another die in stacked die applications, a spacer, etc.). In advanced packaging applications, semiconductor elements (e.g., bare semiconductor die, packaged semiconductor die, etc.) are bonded to bonding locations of a substrate (e.g., a leadframe, a PCB, a carrier, a semiconductor wafer, a BGA substrate, etc.). Conductive structures (e.g., traces, conductive bumps, contact pads, solder bumps, conductive pillars, copper pillars, etc.) provide electrical interconnection between the semiconductor elements and the bonding locations.
In many applications (e.g., thermocompression bonding of semiconductor elements), solder material is included in the conductive structures. In such processes, heat is applied to the semiconductor element being bonded (e.g., through a heater in a bond head assembly carrying the bond tool and/or through the support structure supporting the substrate). Misalignment between conductive structures of the semiconductor element and the substrate continue to be a challenge in certain thermocompression bonding operations. Thus, it would be desirable to provide improved methods for operating thermocompression bonding systems to overcome certain misalignment challenges.